中國將在西藏建造世界最大水力發電廠

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

China to build world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet

Reuters

Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Nicholas Yong

Wed, December 25, 2024 at 9:02 p.m. PST·2 min read

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has approved the construction of what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, kicking off an ambitious project on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau that could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh.

The dam, which will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, could produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, according to an estimate provided by the Power Construction Corp of China in 2020.

That would more than triple the 88.2 billion kWh designed capacity of the Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, in central China.

The project will play a major role in meeting China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, stimulate related industries such as engineering, and create jobs in Tibet, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.

A section of the Yarlung Zangbo falls a dramatic 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) within a short span of 50 km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential as well as unique engineering challenges.

The outlay for building the dam, including engineering costs, is also expected to eclipse the Three Gorges dam, which cost 254.2 billion yuan($34.83 billion). This included the resettling of the 1.4 million people it displaced and was more than four times the initial estimate of 57 billion yuan.

Authorities have not indicated how many people the Tibet project would displace and how it would affect the local ecosystem, one of the richest and most diverse on the plateau.

But according to Chinese officials, hydropower projects in Tibet, which they say hold more than a third of China's hydroelectric power potential, would not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies

India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam, with the project potentially altering not only the local ecology but also the flow and course of the river downstream.

The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India's Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.

China has already commenced hydropower generation on the upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which flows from the west to the east of Tibet. It is planning more projects upstream.

($1 = 7.2989 Chinese yuan renminbi)

Translation

中國將在西藏建造世界最大水力發電廠

北京（路透社） - 中國已批准建造世界上最大的水力發電廠大壩，在青藏高原東緣啟動了一項雄心勃勃的項目，該項目可能會影響印度和孟加拉國下游數百萬人。

根據中國電力建設集團公司2020年預計，該大壩將位於雅魯藏布江下游，年發電量將達3,000億度。

這將相比使位於中國中部的目前世界上最大的三峽大壩的設計容量882億千瓦時多了三倍多。

根據官方新華社週三報道，該計劃將為實現中國的碳達峰和碳中和目標發揮重要作用，刺激工程等相關產業，並為西藏創造就業機會。

雅魯藏布江的一段在短短 50 公里（31 英里）的突然驟跌2,000  公尺（6,561 英尺），提供了巨大的水力發電潛力，同時也帶來了獨特的工程挑戰。

包括工程成本在內的大壩建設費用預計也將超過耗資 2,542 億元人民幣（348.3 億美元）, 使三峽大壩顯得不那麼重大。其中包括140萬流離失所人口的安置，是最初估計的570億元人民幣的四倍多。

當局尚未表明西藏計劃將導致多少人流離失所，以及它將如何影響當地的生態系統，這是高原上最豐富、最多樣化的生態系統之一。

但中國官員表示這些西藏水力發電計劃蘊藏著中國水力發電潛力的三分之一以上，是不會對環境或下游供水產生重大影響。

儘管如此，印度和孟加拉還是對大壩提出了擔憂，因為該計劃不僅可能改變當地的生態，而且可能改變下游河流的流量和河道。

雅魯藏布江離開西藏，向南流入印度阿魯納恰爾邦(Arunachal Pradesh)和阿薩姆邦(Assam)，最後流入孟加拉國，成為布拉馬普特拉河(Brahmaputra river)。

中國已經在從西藏西流向東的雅魯藏布江上游開始水力發電。它正在計劃更多的上游項目。

             So, China has approved the construction of what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, kicking off an ambitious project on the eastern rim of the Tibetan plateau that could affect millions downstream in India and Bangladesh. I am wondering how neighboring countries will react to this project.

香港懸賞逮捕六位海外活動人士

Recently BBC News on-line reported the following:

Hong Kong offers rewards for arrest of six activists abroad

Vicky Wong

BBC News-  24 December 2024

Hong Kong police have offered rewards of HK$1m (£103,000; $129,000) for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada.

Among them is Tony Chung, the former leader of a pro-independence group who fled to the UK last year.

The group - which includes a former district councillor, an actor, and a YouTuber - have been lobbying for more democracy in the territory. All have been accused of violating the city's national security law.

Human Rights Watch said the warrants were "a cowardly act of intimidation that aims to silence Hong Kong people" and called on the UK and Canadian governments to push back.

Also on the wanted list is former district councillor Carmen Lau and activist Chloe Cheung. Both are based in the UK and lobby on behalf of two NGOs calling for more democracy in Hong Kong.

Arrest warrants were also issued for political commentator and pollster Chung Kim-wah, who left Hong Kong for the UK in 2022, as well as two people based in Canada: former actor Joseph Tay, who co-founded the NGO HongKonger Station, and Youtuber Victor Ho.

Mr Ho has been charged with subversion while the other six have been accused inciting secession and collusion with a foreign country or external forces.

According to Hong Kong's public broadcaster RTHK, the arrest warrants were announced by the city's top police chiefs on Tuesday, who accused some of the wanted activists of repeatedly requesting foreign countries to impose sanctions and other measures against China and Hong Kong.

Mr Chung was first convicted in 2021 for calling for Hong Kong's secession and was released in June last year.

He posted on Instagram on Tuesday that it was "an honour to become the first Hongkonger to be charged twice under the National Security Law".

Mr Chung said the news came as no surprise to him as he breached a supervision order after his release from prison by fleeing to the UK last year.

"I knew this day would come. From the moment I decided to leave Hong Kong, I was fully aware that I would not be able to return for a long time," he wrote.

Carmen Lau is also based in the UK and has been calling for more democracy in Hong Kong

Ms Lau posted on X that the warrant would not stop her advocacy work. She called on the UK, US and EU governments to impose sanctions on "Hong Kong human rights perpetrators".

She also asked the British Labour government to "seriously reconsider its strategies for tackling transnational repression targeting Hong Kongers" and to look at blocking the expansion of China's embassy in Tower Hill.

Earlier this month, Tower Hamlets councillors voted unanimously to reject plans for the new Chinese embassy. However, the verdict is only advisory and not binding and it will be up to deputy prime minister and communities secretary Angela Rayner to decide whether to grant permission or not.

This is the third round of arrest warrants and bounties issued since the Beijing-imposed National Security Law was imposed.

The first two rounds were issued in July and December last year, and targeted former lawmaker Nathan Law - who told the BBC last year that his life has become more dangerous since the bounty was announced - and Simon Cheng, a former UK consulate employee detained in 2019 in a high-profile case. Both men are now based in the UK.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning backed the move on Tuesday in that the Chinese government supported Hong Kong "performing its duties in accordance with the law",

She added that Hong Kong is "a society governed by the rule of law and no one has extrajudicial privileges".

Hong Kong's controversial National Security Law was imposed in 2020 in response to the 2019 anti-government protests that rocked the city for months.

Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy, but critics argue it has reduced the city's autonomy and made a wider range of dissenting acts illegal.

Translation

香港懸賞逮捕六位海外活動人士

香港警方懸賞 100 萬港元（103,000 英鎊；129,000 美元），獎勵提供線索逮捕六名居住在英國和加拿大的民主活動人士。

其中包括去年逃往英國的支持獨立團體的前領導人鍾劍華(Tony Chung)。

這六位人士包括一名前區議員、一名演員和一名 網絡創作人(YouTuber)，他們一直在遊說香港實施更多民主。所有人都被指控違反該市的國家安全法。

人權觀察表示，這些逮捕令是“一種懦弱的恐嚇行為，旨在讓香港人民保持沉默”，並呼籲英國和加拿大政府抵制逮捕令。

通緝名單上還包括前區議員劉珈汶(Carmen La) 和活動人士張晞晴 (Chloe Cheung)。兩人均居住在英國，代表兩個非政府組織進行遊說，呼籲香港實現更多民主。

政治評論員兼民調專家鐘劍華(Tony Chung Kim-wah) 於2022 年離開香港前往英國，另外還有兩名在加拿大的人：前演員Joseph Tay(鄭敬基)（非政府組織HongKonger Station 的共同創始人）和網絡創作人 Victor Ho(何良懋) 也被發出逮捕令。

何良懋被指控顛覆國家政權，其他人則被指控煽動分裂國家以及與外國或外部勢力勾結。

根據香港公共廣播公司香港電台 (RTHK) 報道，該市警方最高層週二宣布了逮捕令，他們指責一些被通緝的活動人士多次要求外國對中國和香港實施制裁和其他措施。

鍾翰林先生於 2021 年因呼籲香港分裂而首次被定罪，並於去年 6 月獲釋。

他週二在Instagram上發文稱，「很榮幸成為第一個根據國家安全法被兩次指控的香港人」。

鍾翰林先生表示，這項消息對他來說並不意外，因為他去年出獄後逃往英國，違反了監管令。

他寫道:「我知道這一天會到來。從我決定離開香港的那一刻起，我就充分意識到我很長一段時間都無法回來」。

劉珈汶也住在英國，一直呼籲香港實施更多民主

劉女士在 X 上發文表示，逮捕令不會阻止她的宣傳工作。她呼籲英國、美國和歐盟政府對「香港人權加害者」實施制裁。

她還要求英國工黨政府“認真重新考慮其應對針對香港人的跨國鎮壓的策略”，並考慮阻止中國駐Tower Hill的大使館擴建。

本月早些時候，Tower Hamlets市議員一致投票否決了建造新中國大使館的計劃。然而，該判決只是建議性的，不具有約束力，將由副總理和社區秘書Angela Rayner決定是否授予許可。

這是自北京實施國家安全法以來發出的第三輪逮捕令和賞金。

前兩輪是在去年7 月和12 月進行的，目標有前立法會議員羅冠聰 (Nathan Law) - 他去年告訴BBC，自懸賞宣布以來，他的生命變得更加危險, 和在香港2019年因一件備受矚目的案例而被拘留的前英國領事館僱員鄭文傑 (Simon Cheng)。兩人現在都居住在英國。

中國外交部發言人毛寧週二對此舉表示支持，稱中國政府支持香港「依法履行職責」。

她補充說，香港是「一個法治社會，任何人都沒有法外特權」。

香港於 2020 年實施了備受爭議的《國家安全法》，以應對 2019 年震撼香港數月的反政府抗議活動。

北京和香港當局認為，該法律對於維持穩定是必要的，並否認該法律削弱了自治權，但批評者認為，該法律削弱了香港的自治權，並使更廣泛的異議行為成為非法。

              So, Hong Kong police have offered rewards for information leading to the arrests of six pro-democracy activists living in the UK and Canada. While Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy, critics point out that it has reduced the city's autonomy and made a wider range of dissenting acts illegal.

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (2/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

Russia’s Wartime Economic Woes Slow Railway Trade with China (2/2)

Bloomberg News

Sun, December 22, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. PST·4 min read

(continue)

Putin in February outlined plans to expand annual shipping capacity on the network, though the current economic fissures are creating hurdles for the national rail carrier.

Russian Railways freight volume declined 5.2% year-on-year through November, according to MMI Research.

The company is now considering cutting its total investment program through 2030 by a third, to 7.9 trillion rubles ($77 billion), Kommersant newspaper reported last month, adding that the economy ministry has proposed an even sharper reduction. The ministry also suggested cutting spending on the expansion of the Eastern Polygon to about 15% of what was originally proposed, the newspaper said, though its report wasn’t officially confirmed.

The economy ministry didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Slower Shipments

Russia’s economic troubles and underinvestment in Russian Railways are starting to have knock-on effects on commodity shipments to the east.

Several coal miners aren’t able to ship as originally intended due to railway bottlenecks, executives at the companies said, asking not to be identified as the information is sensitive. The government held a meeting in the coal-rich Kusbass region in western Siberia this month to discuss the industry’s issues.

United Co. Rusal International PJSC, the biggest aluminum producer outside of China, has built up several hundred thousand tons of stock at its aluminum smelters in Siberia as limited railway capacity crimps its ability to ship the metal in a timely manner, people familiar with the situation said.

Before 2022, Rusal — which isn’t subject to sanctions by the US and its Group of Seven allies — was selling the metal in China only occasionally. But after Russia was hit by multiple penalties, the company rerouted a large portion of its exports to Asia from Europe and other markets. It now sells more than a million tons, or about a third of its annual output, in China.

A Rusal spokesperson declined to comment.

Russian Railways “needs to be improved, partly through investments” that are declining, said Dmitry Polevoy, investment director at Moscow-based Astra Asset Management. “In general, the railway and loading are always a mirror of what is happening in the economy.”

Translation

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (2/2)

（繼續）

普京在二月概述了擴大該網絡年度運輸能力的計劃，儘管當前的經濟裂縫給國家鐵路運輸公司帶來了障礙。

根據 MMI Research 的數據，截至 11 月，與去年同期相比，，俄羅斯鐵路貨運量年減 5.2%。

根據《生意人報》上個月報道，鐵路運輸公司目前正在考慮將其到2030 年的總投資計劃削減三分之一，至7.9 兆盧布（770 億美元），並補充說經濟部已提議更大幅削減。該報稱，該部還建議將東部多邊形擴建的支出削減至最初提議的 15% 左右，但其報告尚未得到官方證實。

經濟部沒有回應置評請求。

出貨速度放緩 

俄羅斯的經濟困境和俄羅斯鐵路投資不足開始對東部的大宗商品運輸產生連鎖反應。

有些公司高層表示，由於鐵路瓶頸，一些煤礦公司無法按原計劃發貨, 由於資訊敏感，要求不透露姓名。政府本月在西西伯利亞煤炭資源豐富的Kusbass地區召開會議，討論該行業的問題。

知情人士稱，由於鐵路運力有限，限制了其及時運輸金屬的能力，中國以外最大的鋁生產商俄羅斯鋁業聯合公司 (United Co. Rusal International PJSC) 在西伯利亞的鋁冶煉廠積累了數十萬噸庫存。

2022 年之前，Rusal (俄鋁) 不受美國及其七國集團盟友的制裁, 只是偶爾在中國出售這種金屬。但在俄羅斯受到多重處罰後，該公司將大部分出口到歐洲和其他市場改至亞洲。目前，該公司在中國的銷售量超過一百萬噸，約佔其年產量的三分之一。

俄鋁發言人拒絕置評。

總部位於莫斯科的Astra資產管理公司的投資總監Dmitry Polevoy表示，俄羅斯鐵路「需要改善，部分是透過投資  (已不斷在減少中)」。 「總的來說，鐵路和裝載始終是經濟狀況的一面鏡子」。

              So, Russia faces increasing difficulty in shipping commodities to China through its vast eastern rail network due to the war with Ukraine and sanctions by western countries. Apparently Russian Railways needs to be improved, but there is no money for it under a wartime economy. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a war of attrition for both parties.

Note:

1. Kommersant (Russian: Коммерсантъ, The Businessman or Commerce Man, often shortened to Ъ) (生意人報) is a nationally distributed daily newspaper published in Russia mostly devoted to politics and business. It is widely considered to be one of Russia's three main business dailies (together with Vedomosti and RBK Daily). (Wikipedia)

2. United Company Rusal (Russian: МКПАО «ОК РУСАЛ») (俄鋁) is the world's second largest aluminum company by primary production output (as of 2016). It was the largest until overtaken by China Hongqiao Group in 2015. (Wikipedia)

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (1/2)

Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Russia’s Wartime Economic Woes Slow Railway Trade With China (1/2)

Bloomberg News

Sun, December 22, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. PST·4 min read

(Bloomberg) -- Russia faces increasing difficulty shipping commodities to China through its vast eastern rail network, a sign of the growing economic challenges stemming from war and sanctions, despite the Kremlin’s assurances that all is well.

Russian Railways JSC — the state-owned carrier responsible for all rail transport throughout the country — last week approved a 30% cut in its investment program for next year amid soaring borrowing costs, news agency Tass reported, citing the transportation minister.

An increase in war-related cargoes is also compounding existing bottlenecks, while sanctions weigh on cross-border payments. Those factors, along with longstanding logistical issues, are slowing the transport of goods like coal and aluminum.

The railway “is experiencing its deepest slump since the 2008-09 crisis this year, and the trend is still going strong,” Moscow-based MMI Research said in a Telegram post this month. “We assume that this is due to both the needs of the army — loading the network with priority cargo — and the worsening problems with the rolling stock.”

Russian Railways didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The situation underscores the strains within Russia as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine approaches its third full year. The central bank on Friday kept its key interest rate at a record 21% as it seeks to cool an overheated economy, which President Vladimir Putin has said is in sound condition.

“Everything is based on the economy,” Putin said during his annual call-in on Dec. 19. “The situation is normal, stable,” despite any external threats and sanctions. While noting that inflation is “worrying,” he added that GDP may grow by about 4% this year — higher than in many Western countries — while unemployment is at a record low.

Fabled Railway

For Russian Railways, the picture is not so rosy. The carrier, which often used to borrow in public markets for investment, has now been largely closed off to them due to sanctions. Government support is limited, as Moscow has re-prioritized its budget toward the war.

Russia shifted its trade in recent years toward Asia, placing greater reliance on the so-called Eastern Polygon rail network. Its 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) of track combine Russia’s two longest railroads — the fabled Trans-Siberian, linking Moscow to the Pacific Ocean, and the Baikal-Amur Mainline running from Siberia to the Far East.

The network has long been burdened by loading delays and inefficient infrastructure, but now it’s being stressed further. The shift toward Asia has increased the volume of transportation both to and from Russia, and demand for track space far exceeds what the system can handle — despite billions of dollars spent on upgrades.

“We see the problems of the Eastern Polygon,” Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit said on state television this month. “Infrastructure constraints, despite the increase in carrying capacity, still exist on the Baikal Amur and the Trans-Siberian Railway.”

(to be continued)

Translation

俄羅斯戰時經濟困境導致與中國的鐵路貿易放緩 (1/2)

（彭博）—俄羅斯透過其龐大的東部鐵路網絡向中國運送商品面臨越來越大的困難，這表明戰爭和制裁帶來的經濟挑戰日益嚴峻，儘管克里姆林宮保證一切都很好。

根據塔斯社引述交通部長報道稱，由於借貸成本飆升，負責全國所有鐵路運輸的國有運輸的俄羅斯鐵路股份公司 (JSC)上週批准將明年的投資計劃削減 30%。

與戰爭相關的貨物的增加也加劇了現有的瓶頸，而制裁則給跨境支付帶來壓力。這些因素加上長期的物流問題，正在減緩煤炭和鋁等貨物的運輸。

總部位於莫斯科的 MMI Research 在本月的 Telegram 貼文中表示，該鐵路「今年正在經歷自 2008-09 年危機以來最嚴重的衰退，而且趨勢仍然強勁」;「我們認為這是由於軍隊的需求（向網絡裝載優先貨物）以及火車和車廂問題日益惡化造成的」。

俄羅斯鐵路公司沒有回應置評請求。

隨著克里姆林宮在烏克蘭的戰爭進入第三年，這種情況凸顯了俄羅斯內部的緊張局勢。俄羅斯央行週五將關鍵利率維持在創紀錄的 21%，以尋求讓過熱的經濟降溫，俄羅斯總統普京 (Vladimir Putin) 表示，經濟狀況良好。

普京在 12 月 19 日的年度電話會議上表示:「一切都以經濟為基礎」。儘管有任何外部威脅和制裁“情況是正常、穩定” 。但他補充說通貨膨脹是“令人擔憂”，今年 GDP 可能增長 4% 左右 - 高於許多西方國家 - 而失業率是在歷史新低。

傳奇的鐵路

對於俄羅斯鐵路公司來說，情況就沒那麼樂觀。該公司過去經常在公開市場上借款進行投資，但由於制裁，現在基本上已與公開市場斷絕。政府的支持是有限的，因為莫斯科已經重新調整成戰爭優先的預算。

近年來，俄羅斯將貿易轉向亞洲，更依賴所謂的東部多邊形鐵路網。其全長 8,700 英里（14,000 公里）的軌道將俄羅斯兩條最長的鐵路連接起來 - 傳奇的連接莫斯科和太平洋的西伯利亞鐵路，以及從西伯利亞延伸到遠東的幹線Baikal-Amur Mainline 鐵路 (BAM)。

該網路長期以來一直受到加載延遲和基礎設施效率低下的困擾，但現在它的壓力進一步加大。向亞洲的轉向增加了往返俄羅斯的運輸量，對軌道空間的需求遠遠超出了系統的處理能力 - 儘管升級花費了數十億美元。

交通部長Roman Starovoit本月在國家電視台上表示:「我們看到了東部多邊形的問題」。 「儘管運載能力有所增加，但Baikal Amur和西伯利亞鐵路仍然存在基礎設施限制」。

（待續）

The biggest mystery in aviation history: Agreement reached to resume search for Malaysian plane that went missing 10 years ago

 

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

航空史上最大の謎 10年前に不明のマレーシア機 捜索再開を合意

2024年12月21日 0時06分

10年前、乗客乗員200人以上を乗せて南シナ海の上空で消息を絶ったマレーシア航空の旅客機について、マレーシア政府はアメリカの海洋探査会社と捜索の再開で原則合意したことを明らかにしました。

「航空史上最大の謎」とも呼ばれる旅客機の消息をめぐって真相究明が進むのか注目されます。

マレーシア航空370便は10年前、乗客乗員239人を乗せてマレーシアから中国に向かっていたところ南シナ海の上空で消息を絶ちました。

当時マレーシア政府など各国が捜索しましたが、機体の一部が見つかっただけで大きな進展はないまま3年後に捜索はいったん打ち切られ、その後、マレーシア政府と契約したアメリカの海洋探査会社が再び捜索にあたりましたが新たな発見はありませんでした。

こうした中、マレーシア政府は20日、このアメリカの企業から新たな申し出があり、捜索を再開することで原則、合意したと発表しました。

捜索は最新の情報やデータの分析に基づいてインド洋南部の1万5000平方キロメートルの範囲で行われるということで、機体が見つからなければ企業側への費用の支払いは行われないとしています。

「航空史上最大の謎」とも呼ばれる旅客機の消息をめぐって真相究明が進むのか注目されます。

Translation

The biggest mystery in aviation history: Agreement reached to resume search for Malaysian plane that went missing 10 years ago

The Malaysian government announced that it had reached an agreement in principle with an American marine exploration company to resume the search for the Malaysian Airlines passenger plane that disappeared over the South China Sea 10 years ago with more than 200 passengers and crew on board.

Attention would be focused on whether it could make progress in uncovering the truth regarding the disappearance of the passenger plane, which was also called "the biggest mystery in aviation history."

Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over the South China Sea 10 years ago while traveling from Malaysia to China with 239 passengers and crew on board.

At the time, the Malaysian government and other countries conducted a search, but only part of the aircraft was found and no major progress was made, the search was called off three years later. After that, an American marine exploration company contracted with the Malaysian government to resume the search, but no new discoveries were made.

Under these circumstances, on the 20th, the Malaysian government announced that it had received a new offer from the American company and had agreed in principle to resume the search.

The search would cover an area of ​​15,000 square kilometers in the southern Indian Ocean based on analysis of the latest information and data, and if the plane was not found, the company would not be paid any fees.

Attention would be focused on whether progress could be made in uncovering the truth behind the whereabouts of the passenger plane that been called "the greatest mystery in aviation history."

So, Malaysia has reached a new agreement with an American marine exploration company to resume the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines passenger plane. I think the company is confident in finding the plane eventually this time. If they finally find it, the story itself will bring the company a lot of benefits on top of the fees they are promised.

A CNN reporter immediately tried out a new service that would allow you to talk to Chat GPT over the phone

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

電話でチャットＧＰＴと会話できる新サービス、ＣＮＮ記者が早速試してみた

2024.12.20 Fri posted at 15:47 JST

ニューヨーク（ＣＮＮ） 米オープンＡＩの生成ＡＩ「チャットＧＰＴ」を電話で利用できるサービスが米国で始まった。フリーダイヤルの１－８００－ＣＨＡＴＧＰＴ（１－８００－２４２－８４７８）に電話すると、音声でチャットＧＰＴと会話ができる。

ＣＮＮ記者は１８日、早速この番号に電話して会話を試した。

電話の相手は女性の声。チョコチップクッキーのレシピを紹介し、南北戦争について教えてくれた。ただし個人的な会話には応じたがらない様子だった。

「私に感情はありません。でも自分の仕事はとても面白いと思っています」

このサービスは、米国外からでもメッセージアプリの「ＷｈａｔｓＡｐｐ」経由で同じ番号をダイヤルすれば利用できる。

利用できる時間は月に１５分まで。ユーザーは会話を始める前に、利用規約やプライバシーポリシーに同意する必要がある。安全目的で同社がデータを検証することもあるという免責条項もある。

チャットＧＰＴの音声機能をめぐっては疑問も浮上している。オープンＡＩは８月、まるで人間のような音声にユーザーが過度に依存してしまう可能性があるとして懸念を表明していた。

グーグルやイーロン・マスク氏のｘＡＩ、メタ、マイクロソフトなど大手が参入して競争が熾烈化する中で、オープンＡＩに対する黒字化の圧力も強まっている。

チャットＧＰＴは黒字化を果たせるのかと記者が尋ねたところ、電話の相手は明るい声で、オープンＡＩはいずれそうするでしょうと答えた。ただし「私自身はお金は一切扱いません」とチャットＧＰＴは付け加えた。

Translation

A CNN reporter immediately tried out a new service that would allow you to talk to Chat GPT over the phone

New York (CNN) A service that would allow you to use the US Open AI's generation AI "Chat GPT" over the phone had started in the US. By calling the toll-free number 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478), you could talk to Chat GPT by voice.

A CNN reporter immediately called this number on the 18th and tried to talk to Chat GPT.

The voice on the other end of the phone was a female. She introduced a chocolate chip cookie recipe and told me about the Civil War. However, she didn't seem to want to have a personal conversation.

"I don't have feelings, but I think my work is very interesting."

This service could be used from outside the US by dialing the same number via the messaging app "WhatsApp".

The service could be used for up to 15 minutes per month. Users must agree to terms of service and privacy policy before starting a conversation. There was also a disclaimer that the company might verify data for safety purposes.

Questions had also been raised over ChatGPT's voice features. OpenAI expressed concerns in August that users might become completely dependent on the human-like voice.

As competition was intensifying with the entry of major players such as Google, Elon Musk's XAI, Meta and Microsoft, OpenAI was also under increasing pressure to make a profit.

When asked by the reporter whether ChatGPT would be able to turn a profit, the person on the phone replied in an upbeat voice that OpenAI would eventually do so. But ChatGPT added, " I don't deal with money at all."

So, a service that allows someone to use the US Open AI’s “Chat GPT" over the phone has started. It is competing with other major players such as Google, Elon Musk's xAI, Meta and Microsoft. Let’s wait and see who will eventually become the winner.

越南舉辦軍火展尋求促進國內國防工業

Recent Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Vietnam seeks to boost domestic defence industry as it hosts arms fair

Tue, December 17, 2024 at 6:58 p.m. PST·2 min read

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam will showcase locally made weapons at an international arms fair in Hanoi on Thursday, as it seeks to boost its domestic industry and possibly export military equipment.

Among the nearly 250 exhibitors will be top defence companies, including from the United States, Europe, Turkey and countries at war with each other, such as Israel, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.

The Southeast Asian nation is a major importer of weapons, especially from Russia, having invested for years in its defence capabilities in an unstable region where it has clashed with China over boundaries in the South China Sea.

But recently it has also bolstered its domestic defence industry and promoting exports of military products is now a priority, defence ministry officials have repeatedly said.

State-owned defence firm Viettel and other local companies will showcase missile defence systems, drones, air defence radars, armoured vehicles and artillery, according to defence ministry media.

Some of these weapons will be displayed for the first time, said Nguyen The Phuong, an expert on Vietnam security at Australia's University of New South Wales.

He noted a key strategy to strengthen the local industry had been the signing of deals with foreign arms exporters to have some of their components produced in Vietnam.

Talks with South Korean companies were underway for possible new deals under those conditions, especially for artillery and aviation, he said.

Similar talks had also been held with companies from other countries, including the Czech Republic, officials said.

RIVALS' GEAR ON DISPLAY

At the expo, Iran's defence ministry will have an entire pavilion, not far from the booths of Israel's defence firms Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The fair will also host a dozen booths of Russian firms and one for Ukraine's Motor Sich, an aircraft engine manufacturer.

A dozen Turkish defence companies, including Aselsan, Turkish Aerospace Industries and Roketsan, are among listed participants, making Turkey's one of the largest delegations.

China's Norinco will be one of two Chinese exhibitors, in a first for a Vietnamese defence fair.

U.S. defence giants Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Textron Aviation Defense will also have their booths at the fair.

They have all been involved in talks with Vietnamese authorities for the sale of helicopters. Lockheed is also discussing a possible deal on C-130 Hercules military transport planes, sources had told Reuters.

Brazil's Embraer said it will exhibit its C-390 Millennium plane - a rival to the C-130.

Top European defence firms will also attend, including aerospace giant Airbus, Britain's BAE Systems, Germany's Rheinmetall, Italy's Leonardo and France's Thales Group.

Translation:

越南舉辦軍火展尋求促進國內國防工業

河內（路透社） - 越南將於週四在河內舉行的國際軍火博覽會上展示本地製造的武器，以促進其國內工業並可能出口軍事裝備。

近250家參展商包括來自美國、歐洲、土耳其以及以色列、伊朗、俄羅斯和烏克蘭等交戰國家的頂級防務公司。

這個東南亞國家是武器進口國，尤其是來自俄羅斯的武器進口國，多年來一直在一個不穩定地區投資建立其防禦能力，它曾在該地區與中國因南海邊界問題發生衝突。

但國防部官員一再表示，最近它也加強了國內國防工業，促進軍品出口已成為當務之急。

根據國防部媒體報道，國有防務公司 Viettel 和其他當地公司將展示飛彈防禦系統、無人機、防空雷達、裝甲車和火砲。

澳洲新南威爾斯大學越南安全專家 Nguyen The Phuong 表示，其中一些武器將是首次展出。

他指出，加強當地工業的一項關鍵策略是與外國武器出口商簽署協議，讓其部分零件在越南生產。

他說，正在與韓國公司進行談判，以探討在這種情況下可能達成的新交易，特別是在火砲和航空領域。

官員表示，也與包括捷克共和國在內的其他國家的公司進行了類似的會談。

競爭的對手展示裝備

在博覽會上，伊朗國防部將擁有整個展館，距離以色列國防公司以色列航空航太工業公司和拉斐爾先進防禦系統公司的展位不遠。

展會還將設立十幾個俄羅斯公司的展位和烏克蘭飛機發動機製造商Motor Sich的一個展位。

包括 Aselsan、土耳其航空航太工業公司和 Roketsan 在內的十幾家土耳其國防公司均在參與者名單之列，這使得土耳其成為最大的代表團之一。

中國北方工業公司將成為兩家中國參展商之一，這是首次參加越南防務展。

美國國防巨頭洛克希德·馬丁公司、波音公司和德事隆航空防務公司也將在展會上設立展位。

他們都參與了與越南當局就出售直升機事宜進行的談判。消息人士告訴路透社，洛克希德馬丁公司還有一個有關可能交易 C-130 Hercules 軍用運輸機的討論。

巴西的Embraer表示將展出其 C-390 Millennium 飛機 - 是C-130 的競爭對手。

歐洲頂級防務公司也將参與，包括航空航太巨頭空中巴士公司、英國BAE系統公司、德國的Rheinmetall、義大利的Leonardo和法國的Thales Group。

So, Vietnam will showcase locally made weapons at an international arms fair as it seeks to boost its domestic industry and possibly export military equipment. It admits that promoting exports of military products is now its priority. The recent conflicts in the middle east and in Ukraine show that military equipment is in high demand and has a good market globally.